Sept. 12, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s tennis coach Arlo Elkins announced his team’s fall schedule Tuesday. The Gamecocks will compete in six tournaments in preparation for the dual-match season, which begins in January.

USC opens play in Greenville, S.C., competing in the Furman Fall Classic over Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. Next up is the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif., which run from Oct. 3-8. While some players compete in California, others will travel to Flushing Meadows, N.Y., for the USTA National Tennis Center Women’s College Invitational over Oct. 7-9. The following weekend, select Gamecocks will head to Chapel Hill, N.C., to play in the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships. South Carolina then hosts the Southern Intercollegiate Championships over Oct. 27-29 before concluding the fall in Peachtree City, Ga., at the SEC Individual Championships from Nov. 3-5.

“We have a good regional and national schedule,” Elkins said. “The Furman tournament will feature some of the top regional teams, and the All-American will have the best players in the country. Some of the best teams on the East Coast will be in New York at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This fall schedule will test our abilities and improvement since the summer.”

South Carolina returns seven of its nine letterwinners from a year ago and added one newcomer to its roster. Sophomores Gira Schofield and Natasa Vuckovic are among the preseason national rankings this fall, coming in at 39th and 93rd, respectively. Schofield and Vuckovic also are ranked No. 37 in doubles.

South Carolina Women’s Tennis Fall Schedule
Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Furman Fall Classic (Greenville, S.C.)
Oct. 3-8: Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships (Pacific Palisades, Calif.)
Oct. 7-9: USTA National Tennis Center Women’s College Invitational (Flushing Meadows, N.Y.)
Oct. 12-16: Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Oct. 27-29: Southern Intercollegiate Championships (Columbia, S.C.)
Nov. 3-5: SEC Individual Championships (Peachtree City, Ga.)